


Not His to Tell

by orphan_account



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst, Episode 104, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 03:19:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17737997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The conversation between Max and Liz at the diner in episode 104 from Max's POV.





	Not His to Tell

His heart was racing. If the way Kyle had been talking to him in the hospital earlier hadn’t been hint enough, their interaction on the street all but confirmed it.

 

He had to know.

 

Max entered the diner, feeling lightheaded, mind racing to find any explanation as to how the secret they’d kept for 20 years had somehow made it to Kyle.

 

Any explanation apart from the most obvious. The one he didn’t even want to think about.

 

Except there she was.

 

“So Kyle, huh? Did you tell him about me?”

 

Even as she hesitated, he could hear Isobel’s voice from the other day running through his mind. _Liz and Kyle hooked up at the Wild Pony the day after she got into town. Your handprint was still on her chest._

 

“Yes.”

 

“And my family?” he choked, still not wanting to believe it.

 

“No, not them.” She paused.

 

“He saw the mark you left on me and had questions. You had lied to me about Rosa and I was so angry at you. He was the only one I could talk to.”

 

His racing heart lodged itself in his throat, and the bitterness started to creep in. Of course. The only one she could talk to was Kyle. Of course it was.

 

“I know him. He won’t do anything, unless-”

 

His grief exploded inside him, spilling out in harsh words. “Unless what? Unless you two decide I’m a killer?”

 

He shook his head, barely able to believe that after all these years, Kyle still won. He always won. And now, the same guy who’d gotten everything he’d wanted in high school was holding Max’s life in his hands.

 

Kyle had never liked him. He’d thought Liz was different… he’d thought maybe she’d liked him a little bit… even if it was years ago.

 

He turned to leave before he could ask her why. Why she’d always wanted _him_. He’d been such a jerk in high school, and he’d turned into such a self-righteous asshole.

 

An asshole who now had complete power over him.

 

Before he got to the door, she spoke again.

 

“I know I hurt you the other night. I’m guessing that’s why the whole down is dark. I hate that you’re hurting, Max, and I want to believe you. I… I don’t trust people.”

 

Except, Kyle, he thought viciously. She’d always trusted Kyle no matter how much he didn’t deserve it.

 

He finally turned around to look at her.

 

“I’ve been burned too many times. I use - I use facts and evidence to build a cage around my heart. I can’t help it. I can’t change it, and honestly, I don’t think I would want to. It’s my armor.”

 

He sucked in a breath, taken by the emotion in her voice despite himself. It didn’t seem to matter what she did to him, how she betrayed him, he couldn’t stand to see her hurting.

 

“I have never wanted anything as much as I want to believe that you didn’t hurt my sister. But I can’t shake the feeling that you’re lying.”

 

His stomach dropped. She was right; he was lying. He’d been lying about who he was since the day they’d met and now… Now, what happened to Rosa hung over them like a dark cloud and he couldn’t even explain. As much as he wanted to tell her the truth, as much as it killed him to see her look at him that way, he couldn’t tell her.

 

Even if it meant he’d never see her again.

 

Because it wasn’t about him. It never had been. And his happiness just wasn’t a consideration.

 

Still, since this could very well be the last time he ever saw her, he had to ask. Once Isobel did her thing, he’d never know.

 

“I need to ask you something. I have been pouring my heart out to you ever since you got back. And I need to know. How do you truly feel about me?”

 

She gestured. “I feel this.”

 

“Real answer, please,” he begged.

 

“I feel a lot of things. I…but mostly I feel terrified in all kinds of ways. That’s the truth. It’s the only one that I can give you right now.”

 

Terrified. Of course. She was frightened of him. He couldn’t fathom how, after so many years of knowing each other, she’d really think that he could’ve hurt Rosa… but there it was. Whatever she’d felt for him once upon a time, even if it’d just been friendship, was long gone. Destroyed by a ten-year-old secret that wasn’t even his to tell.

 

“Did you believe a word that I said to you at the drive-in? Not about Rosa. Did you believe me when I said I love you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

He swallowed, forcing the words out even though it felt like his world was ending. “Good. That’s what matters. I hope you take that with you wherever you go next.”

 

She stepped forward as if to reach for him, but he stepped back just as quickly, a pained “no” escaping his throat. He already felt like he was dying; he couldn’t let her touch him.

 

“Goodbye, Liz.”

 

He made through the entrance of the diner, and halfway down the street before the first tears fell.


End file.
